I went into the movie with very low expectations, having read about how awful it was with regards to gay stereotypes. But what I didn't expect was for everyone who isn't a white straight male to be stereotyped. There were only two men who weren't white in the entire movie; one was an Asian caricature to a degree that I thought was extinct since the fifties, and the other one is the only black guy on the force – so of course he also doubles as the huge scary (crazy) guy. He's notable becomes a double offense when he, form the moment that he comes out of the closet, turns into a mincing sissy. This is supposed to be comedic, because can you imagine a big black guy who isn't scary? Or a black guy who I gay? What a hoot! The movie also suffers from rampant misogyny, depicting every single woman as a first class idiot who's naturally all over Chuck.
Mind you that this trait has nothing to do with Chuck being handsome, charming or anything else. In fact, his way of seduction is to mock and insult his target, then expecting them to obey his every command (which they incredibly do). He's not just this way to women either, in fact he constantly makes homophobic comments and treats his so called best friend like dirt, including turning his plea for help down without as much as a thought and having sex with his maid in his bed, while Larry's still in it and mere minutes after Larry clearly described how hard it was for him to let anyone sleep on his wife's side. Then there's the treatment of the issue at hand, of course. Apart from the raging stereotypes, it's as if the writers have no idea how homophobia works. The supposedly progressive lawyer asks the "couple" who is the chick – a question that is one of the parade signs of ignorance on homosexuality. Then she asks him out on a "girl day", basically trying to turn him into the gay pet cliché. The main characters themselves also continue to look slightly panicked in the presence of gay men, even as they go through a supposed character development.
As bad as this, or even worse, is that this movie about homosexuality is completely devoid of homosexuality. Really, there is no same sex love or attraction going on here at all except in the last five minutes or so. And then it's only a quick wedding between the two most prominent gay characters (as in the only gay characters with more than one line), who never even been shown on screen together before that. Even a fake kiss between the leads is avoided at all costs and treated like something absolutely horrific! Not to mention the often cited assurances of their heterosexuality in the form of an avalanche of female conquests and a dearly beloved wife respectively. Adding insult to injury, all the homophobia that we get to experience is directed against two straight men that are rather homophobic themselves – it's all just an act, so if they do feel hurt it's not on a personal level.
With the contradictions I've mentioned earlier, it seems like the purpose for this movie isn't to deal with homophobia, but to make straight men the heroes of gay people á la every mighty whitey story in history. Think about it; they never actually did anything to gain their heroic status. They were exposed as a fraud and then loads of people wanted them freed because I don't know. I really don't. They have done nothing for their community aside from punching an anti gay activist in the face. If this is really enough to gain iconic status in spite of everything else, I can't see it as anything short of degrading the community to make Chuck (Larry is nothing but a sidekick, really) look like a hero with minimal effort. This is a minority that has claimed enormous improvements in their treatment these past fifteen years, who turn major cities into sanctuaries for diversity for a week of the year, and that at least in the US has rioted multiple times when the authorities went a step too far against them. But in this movie they don't dare lift a finger unless a straight man or woman takes the first step. And just like that, there goes the last drop of credibility that this train wreck of a movie might have had.
This is where some might wave my concerns off as sensitive and say that this isn't relevant to comedy. But fact is that timing, acting, or even Larry's rather sweet character can't save this movie after all the misogyny, homophobia, racism and what not that it's built upon. If you're not a white and mildly homophobic male, chances are that the continuous insults will ruin the fun.
Mind you that this trait has nothing to do with Chuck being handsome, charming or anything else. In fact, his way of seduction is to mock and insult his target, then expecting them to obey his every command (which they incredibly do). He's not just this way to women either, in fact he constantly makes homophobic comments and treats his so called best friend like dirt, including turning his plea for help down without as much as a thought and having sex with his maid in his bed, while Larry's still in it and mere minutes after Larry clearly described how hard it was for him to let anyone sleep on his wife's side. Then there's the treatment of the issue at hand, of course. Apart from the raging stereotypes, it's as if the writers have no idea how homophobia works. The supposedly progressive lawyer asks the "couple" who is the chick – a question that is one of the parade signs of ignorance on homosexuality. Then she asks him out on a "girl day", basically trying to turn him into the gay pet cliché. The main characters themselves also continue to look slightly panicked in the presence of gay men, even as they go through a supposed character development.
As bad as this, or even worse, is that this movie about homosexuality is completely devoid of homosexuality. Really, there is no same sex love or attraction going on here at all except in the last five minutes or so. And then it's only a quick wedding between the two most prominent gay characters (as in the only gay characters with more than one line), who never even been shown on screen together before that. Even a fake kiss between the leads is avoided at all costs and treated like something absolutely horrific! Not to mention the often cited assurances of their heterosexuality in the form of an avalanche of female conquests and a dearly beloved wife respectively. Adding insult to injury, all the homophobia that we get to experience is directed against two straight men that are rather homophobic themselves – it's all just an act, so if they do feel hurt it's not on a personal level.
With the contradictions I've mentioned earlier, it seems like the purpose for this movie isn't to deal with homophobia, but to make straight men the heroes of gay people á la every mighty whitey story in history. Think about it; they never actually did anything to gain their heroic status. They were exposed as a fraud and then loads of people wanted them freed because I don't know. I really don't. They have done nothing for their community aside from punching an anti gay activist in the face. If this is really enough to gain iconic status in spite of everything else, I can't see it as anything short of degrading the community to make Chuck (Larry is nothing but a sidekick, really) look like a hero with minimal effort. This is a minority that has claimed enormous improvements in their treatment these past fifteen years, who turn major cities into sanctuaries for diversity for a week of the year, and that at least in the US has rioted multiple times when the authorities went a step too far against them. But in this movie they don't dare lift a finger unless a straight man or woman takes the first step. And just like that, there goes the last drop of credibility that this train wreck of a movie might have had.
This is where some might wave my concerns off as sensitive and say that this isn't relevant to comedy. But fact is that timing, acting, or even Larry's rather sweet character can't save this movie after all the misogyny, homophobia, racism and what not that it's built upon. If you're not a white and mildly homophobic male, chances are that the continuous insults will ruin the fun.